Litfuse Publicity's blog tour stop for Baroness by Susan May Warren (with bonus review!)

Baroness Roaring 20s Kindle Fire Giveaway from @SusanMayWarren! Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

Expected to marry well and to take the reins of the family empire, they have their lives planned out for them. But following their dreams -- from avant garde France, to Broadway, to the skies in the world of barnstormers and wing-walkers -- will take all their courage.  And if they find love, will they choose freedom or happily ever after?

Celebrate with Susan by entering her Roaring 20s Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Signed copies of Baroness and Heiress by Susan May Warren

But hurry, the giveaway ends on 5/7/12. The winner will be announced on 5/9/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles!

Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

About the book:

Lily and Rose, daughters of an empire coming of age in the roaring twenties, can have anything they want ... except freedom.

Expected to marry well and to take the reins of the empire, they have their lives planned out for them. But, Lily, Esme's daughter longs to return home to Montana, to adventure outside the confines of New York City. And Jinx's daughter Rosie dreams of the bright lights of the newly emerging silver screen. But following their dreams - from avant garde France, to Broadway, to the skies in the world of barnstormers and wing-walkers will take all their courage.

And if they find love, will they choose freedom or happily ever after?

Find out more from Behind the Pages: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/baroness 

About Susan:  Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning novelist of over thirty novels. A five-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.

A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. 

She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. You can find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com. 

Link to buy the book:  http://ow.ly/ajLQF 

Last but not least! My review:

I adored Heiress, and as a result it made my top fiction list for 2011. But I absolutely loved Baroness, so you know it will make my 2012 top fiction list. In my opinion, this story was fantastic because it was so insightful regarding the human heart. The themes were deep, and the characters were so three dimensional, that I couldn't help getting choked up a few times. I cared about the characters and the hard lessons they learned. Who doesn't want to believe that real love can change a person for the good? We're all attracted to danger at some point, and I loved how the author showed why these young women felt unfulfilled and rebellious. It was because of unmet needs in childhood, which wasn't something that they could be protected from no matter how much their parents loved them. Life hurts, and wounded people run from emotional pain. That was brilliantly shown in this book.

The themes in this novel of both physical and spiritual adoption was beautiful, and the lesson about love and commitment going hand in hand was touching as well. There is no worse feeling than deep regret, and when I read stories with this theme, emotion tugs at my heartstrings every time. Forgiving one's self is one of the hardest lessons to learn. So is tasting real love, suffering as the result of poor choices, having the past rear up to bite you when you least expect it, and ultimately watching it destroy innocent people in the end. But when a person sacrifices their own life for someone else's because of a deep, abiding love for them, it always moves me to tears.

There was something very Christ-like about Guthrie that I couldn't help being moved by, and I believe there a little bit of Rosie in all of us; yet because of His deep and unrelenting love, Christ died for us anyway. I loved how this story illuminates universal truths about people, and I appreciated how the author wove a thread of faith through the entire story, and did it so seamlessly. It really pulled everything together. Not to mention that every detail in this story made me feel like I was living in the Roaring 20s... from the clothing, the clubs, and the culture, to the way people interacted with each other. Did I mention the pulse-pounding kisses? Prepare to get breathless a few times and forget that you're reading fiction. I love stories that make me feel like I'm somewhere else.

Real life doesn't always have a happy ending, and the conclusion of this story was bittersweet, but that was what made the last few chapters so emotional for me. Healing takes time. The pacing of this story felt like real life. God is with us even when we don't see Him or feel His presence. I love that Rosie is still learning how to deal with her deep scars from childhood, and how you can see that God is pursuing her despite her determination to run from the pain. It gives me chills just thinking about the potential the author has for this character to learn some important lessons in the future. Bottom line, I love historical fiction, and truth be told, Susan May Warren is a master at crafting it. I can't wait for the next book.

A copy of Baroness was provided by Litfuse Publicity for the purpose of posting a review for this blog tour. However, the opinion expressed in the review above is entirely my own.